Wolfson never puts people in the scenes but he wants you to have the feeling that someone was just there, adding tiny tell-tale signs within each piece – a tip on a table in a restaurant, graffiti on a subway wall, garbage on the side of a street.

“Writers have said that my work creates a safe way of being a voyeur.  There’s something mysterious and intriguing and even attractive about those environments, but I don’t know how comfortable most people feel in them in real life.  Creating them gives me a window into them but also allows me to maintain control over them; I can have the experience of having been to these places without having to confront the people who inhabit them.”

He gives just enough to begin the narrative and expects you to complete the story – Wolfson wants you to be involved; wants you to reminisce; wants you to create the dialogue.

The quarter in the image above shows how small these scenes are. . .

An urban landscape can take up to 18 months to complete and Wolfson has a rule – a self imposed rule – that he must make every piece of the scene, including lighting and graphics.

“I usually work in ½ in = 1 foot scale, which is half the size of dollhouse scale.  The first few pieces I did were in dollhouse scale, but I decided to change to the smaller scale so I could build more intricate environments in the same-sized space.  I also find the smaller scale more “intimate.”  If I’m building a view out a window, that would be built at a smaller scale than the room interior to force the perspective.”

Canal Street Cross Section

The images in today’s post are from Alan Wolfson’s Canal Street Cross Section, a scene that depicts three levels of a Manhattan street. It is his most ambitious undertaking to date.

Watch the video below to learn more (NOTE: Although the sound in the video is fine, the timing is slightly off)

Alan Wolfson’s website, where you will find many more images of Canal Street Cross Section and more than four dozen other urban landscapes – including several diners and Nathan’s, Coney Island (that’s for you mom!).

More about Canal Street Cross Section here

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Carved Flower Ring, sterling silver, tagua, India ink

Seed Pendant, sterling silver, fine silver, gold fill, resin

McBride combines traditional jewelry techniques with a love of experimentation and her collection of natural artifacts to create an evolving collection of jewelry. She’s one to watch.

Shell and Silver Disc Bracelet, sterling silver, shell, resin

Serpentine Molecule Earrings, sterling silver, serpentine, fine silver

Evening Stars, silver, resin

Inspired by what she describes as ‘the delicate hand of Mother Nature”, McBride splits her time between her beloved homeland of Ireland and Santa Fe, New Mexico.

Carla Pennie Mcbride’s website

Tribe Cane Necklace, mixed plastics, oxidized silver

Siblings III, mixed plastics, oxidized silver

Minus Cuffs, rubber, nylon, oxidized silver

SoHo Bracelet, mixed plastics, oxidized silver

Trace Bracelet, rubber, nylon, oxidized silver

Scout & Jem Pendants, mixed plastics, oxidized silver

Pierced and Pieced Rocker Bracelet, rubber, nylon, silver

I’ve discovered a kind of poetry in every day materials, images and objects that often seems absent in traditional jewelery. The subversive act of rescuing materials destined for the dumpster motivates me further or simply repurposing various found goods. Taking the time to craft orange peels, cheap plastics, spent inner tubes and other odds and ends into “gems” intended to adorn the human body — where gold and diamonds are the tradition — or sometimes combining ordinary and/or waste materials with traditional precious materials, brings tension to the completed works.

The California based artist holds a Master of Fine Arts degree with a concentration on Metalsmithing and Jewelry Design and a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree with a focus on Painting.

Mary Donald’s website

Cactus Column, resin, cactus

Barrel Cactus Column, resin, barrel cactus

Pale Dream, resin, cicada wings, panel

“Much of what I observe in nature … appears stellar and a great deal of what I view in the sky seems cellular.” Mayme Kratz

Mayme Kratz’s website

Read an article about the artist here.

Shadows appeal to my playful, curious, mysterious side – adding color creates another level of interest and intrigue. I love the drama in these pieces.

Gregor developed a technique for dying and embossing plastic she calls ‘fossilized plastic’. She uses the actual plant in each piece and is able to achieve the very finest details such as the veins of a leaf.

I wanted to explore the interaction between the necklace and the body by looking at the way light casts patterns. The movement of the body in and out of different lighting will make them visually exciting to view and attract attention. The motion of the person wearing the necklaces will also mean that the shadows move over their body in interesting ways at different times. Sue Gregor

The Shadow Necklace Collection

Gregor’s full portfolio can be found on her website